Wow what an idiot that commenter was. His hate for Carrie is so strong that he imagined her dissing the Dixie Chicks. Hello, she performed a Dixie Chicks song on American Idol AFTER the Bush Comment. lmao

I'm glad Billy Dukes came in to refute that - he's a popular and well known commentator - (my post here, by the way, was before he had done so).

As for the person making the original comment, I would guess that he is annoyed at aspects of the industry reaction to the incident, and is simply lumping Carrie in, because she has become so closely identified as the female face of the contemporary Mainstream. Some people would probably be prepared to see Carrie in the middle of the charmed circle at every award show in the last 40 years. (I distinctly remember her, turning up her nose at Porter Wagoner's garish suits, and leading the boos when Charlie Rich set fire to John Denver's award envelope!)

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"Sin Wagon" was an interesting choice by Carrie - it had never been released as an official single (Natalie thinks because the record company were concerned about references in the song which could sound too risqué for some radio audiences), but it did reach the 50s on the old pre-streaming Billboard chart, through unofficial radio play. It was particularly popular as a live concert song (and, unlike some of the other Fly era songs, has never been dropped from tours). Choosing it can be considered doubly significant for Chicks fans, since (unlike many other songs on their albums), it was a Natalie and Emily co-write. Also, it was usually played in a markedly Bluegrass-influenced style, pretty different from most of the conventional Mainstream.

I'm not sure if any of the Chicks saw American Idol (probably, like Bonnie Raitt, they only heard about Carrie's choices later) - but Martie has commented on it, saying that she was grateful that it showed that their music was still more relevant to younger artists and their audiences than some people seemed willing to admit)

I agree with Adam. These lists are very subjective, and are rather frequently trotted out as a way of getting visitors to the site. Fan controversy helps in that (and seems to be working!)

One of the biggest problems of the present is that too few women have actual power in some of the areas that carry clout in the practical business of the genre (radio programming being the most blatant, because of its public impact, and studio production and engineering being a pretty solid male preserve). However, there are certainly examples of women who do exercise power in key areas - and I would say that the proportion (while still low, overall) is increasing. Examples that come to mind are Cindy Mabe and Tracy Gershon in record company management, Sally Williams (who also has two female assistants in senior roles) at the Opry, Sarah Trahern, CEO of the CMA, Jessica Northey in media. I'd also cite Ann Edelblute and Marion Kraft, who each run their own management companies for leading female performers in the genre, and have seats on the CMA board.

One area of Country Music where I would particularly emphasize the powerful role of women in shaping the character of the genre is songwriting. There are obvious earlier examples like Mae Boren Axton and Cindy Walker - and I personally will always admire Sharon Vaughn for helping to found one of my favourite sub-genres (smile)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75xWs8gJWRI
Today I would say that female writers are playing a truly major role in providing depth and maintaining integrity in the genre's songs

When it comes to actual performing artists, I think "power" is more nebulous, and any definitions used are likely to prove controversial. I accept that having a powerful voice and stage presence, or being associated with a long stream of hits, would be important components in some people's definitions - whereas I'd personally put more stress on the themes of their songs, the blend they achieve stylistically between awareness of the genre's roots and progression, and the way they convincingly enter the mood of a song. But all these considerations have as much to do with the listener's perceptions, and are probably the source of much of the controversy in exercises like this. It's also, unfortunately, often the case that having a good record in any of these fields does not necessarily equate to having a lot of actual influence in the genre - which is probably a real test of "power".

One problem with these "all time" lists is that, despite the effort to be inclusive, they are skewed towards artists who are currently well known - and that, for me, raises questions about several inclusions. (For example, I love Kacey Musgraves, and have followed her for a long time - but I wouldn't place her in a list of the most powerful women of all time - and the same doubt arises over several of the others on the list)

To come to just a couple of instances where I do think "power" in the genre has some definite meaning, I'd mention Linda Ronstadt, both for her willingness to mix genre influences (something now almost unquestioned) and for the personal influence of her vocal style and song choices on so many of the later women performers; Roseann Cash, for the way she's accepted as an influential keeper of the genre's values, whose pronouncements carry weight (for example, she says the AMA should be more open to Black musical styles, and they follow up with Lifetime Achievement awards for Black artists); Shania Twain, who may have passed her personal peak in recording and sales, but is still regarded as an icon on the genre's more Pop-leaning wing, and whose opinions make news (her recent admiration of Kelsea Ballerini, for example, attracted a lot of media attention, being seen by some almost in the vein of passing the torch).

For what the list is worth, I would expect Loretta to be the "winner" - based on the liberating effect in a rather conservative genre of many of her song choices, achieved without compromising its musical identity, the influence of those songs on many of the more substantial themes explored by later women artists, and her willingness to explore modern musical forms even around 70 (when she surprised traditionalists by collaborating with Jack White in a career-reviving innovative album.). But I'm not holding my breath - and I'll probably only get the result second hand here, lol.

If you read the comments underneath the article, there is one by a reader describing himself as an office manager, which says:

"Don't get me wrong, I like Carrie Underwood and all but it's strange to see her courage compared to that of the Dixie Chicks. I distinctly remember seeing her among the artists who refused to applaud for them when they performed at a CMA awards show shortly after they criticized former president Bush ."

To set the record straight, his memory appears mistaken on that point. The Dixie Chicks' "incident" was in 2003. There is no way Carrie could have been seen among the artists applauding or not applauding them at an award show "soon after", as she did not emerge onto the national scene until 2005, and the Dixie Chicks did not appear at any more CMA Award shows until last year

ITs the little incidental side comments from insiders that make it plain to see that Carrie Underwood has always been viewed with a "sideways glance" by many. With an attitude like his and a completely made up story to go with it, its very easy to see why she struggles to gain insider support! His recollection is either literally made up in his head or an intentional lie to skew peoples attitudes towards Carrie Underwood. It can only be one of the other.

ITs the little incidental side comments from insiders that make it plain to see that Carrie Underwood has always been viewed with a "sideways glance" by many. With an attitude like his and a completely made up story to go with it, its very easy to see why she struggles to gain insider support! His recollection is either literally made up in his head or an intentional lie to skew peoples attitudes towards Carrie Underwood. It can only be one of the other.

Where was this comment made?I really can’t seem to find it anywhere that I’ve looked.

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